A New Role for the Trident Fleet

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Proceedings | Captain Terry Benedict | July 31, 2006

The U.S. Navy's strategic submarines such as USS Alaska (SSBN-732) have patrolled the world's international waters for nearly half a century. Now they have been slated for an additional mission—deployment of strategic conventional ballistic missiles to address a diverse set of threats on short notice.

With rogue states and terrorists bent on aggression populating the global landscape, what can be done to ensure rapid worldwide target coverage, given the Navy's reduced force structure? One answer is to modify existing weapon systems that already have the mobility, range, reliability, persistence, and responsiveness needed to address these types of threats.

The Trident fleet ballistic missile is one such system. It has the basic capabilities, range, and speed needed to address the challenges of today's global security environment and can be modified to support new missions that require rapid response and precision accuracy when a nuclear response is inappropriate. Because of this, a much-needed prompt global strike capability can be added to our strategic arsenal—without the risk, expense, and time required for the development and fielding of a major new weapon system.

As part of the new U.S. strategic triad, the Trident ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs) can continue their crucial peace-keeping nuclear mission while taking on an additional non-nuclear role. Most of the missile tubes on these submarines could continue to carry the nuclear Trident II D-5s, and a few tubes could carry D-5 missiles with non-nuclear warheads to be developed and fielded in the near future under the Conventional Trident Modification (CTM) program.

While complementing the deterrent role of the nuclear D-5s, the CTM program will be an evolutionary step in deterrence strategy away from complete dependence on nuclear weapons. Make no mistake though: nuclear weapons continue to have a critical place in our national security posture. They provide credible military strike options to deter a range of threats, including a potential adversary's nuclear arsenal.

The capability to carry a combination of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons will make the Trident D-5 a multi-faceted deterrent and potential first responder. Non-nuclear precision strike capability will give our national leaders and combatant commanders prompt, effective response options that minimize collateral damage on a target and the surrounding area while achieving the objective of defeating the particular threat. Aggressors will be deterred by a capability that can reach out and engage them anywhere on the globe. The conventional Trident missiles deployed on SSBNs will have the same reach, mobility, stealth, and speed as their nuclear counterparts—plus the added capability of near-GPS precision—to deter and defeat a range of threats on very short notice.

The New Triad

The 2001 Nuclear Posture Review, published in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, set forth the transformational approach of adding conventional weapons to the strategic deterrent mix. Following a Department of Defense review of America's strategic nuclear force structure, strategy, and policy, this study articulated a new triad of strategic forces based on a comprehensive set of offensive and defensive capabilities to more fully address a diverse set of threats. It called for the offensive leg of this new triad to be composed of U.S. nuclear forces, a range of conventional strike capabilities, and new non-nuclear capabilities.

The Quadrennial Defense Review, released this year, reaffirmed this approach, concluding that the United States needs to tailor its strategy of deterrence to each potential adversary, make greater progress in fielding prompt, accurate, non-nuclear global strike capability, and make further modest reductions in strategic nuclear force structure with minimal risk.

The new triad will equip the United States for the multi-adversary playing field of the 21st century. In this arena non-state actors pose a serious threat, method of attack may be unanticipated, and extremist enemies may be unswayed by the threat of catastrophic nuclear strike. Strategic effects that before were only possible with nuclear weapons now can be generated with highly precise and responsive conventional systems, owing to the development of precision targeting, flexible and collaborative planning, and improved intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

The 0-to-60 Gap

The CTM program will fill the longstanding 0-to-60-minute gap for engaging an adversary anywhere on the planet. This gap in prompt and precise coverage in certain regions of the world has become critical in recent decades because of the downsizing of U.S. forces concurrent with increased operational demands.

Submarine-launched ballistic missiles have the range to fill the gap without the need to concentrate our forces on foreign soil. Deployment of the Trident-equipped submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans combined with the ability of the D-5s to fly in excess of 4,000 miles effectively covers the globe. Furthermore, broad ocean patrol areas allow holding targets at risk in all of the world's hot spots without over-flight of existing nuclear powers. Launches from these areas toward intended targets cannot be misconstrued as large-scale nuclear attacks.

This new CTM capability can neutralize threats such as early warning radars, terrorist training campsites, or high-valued terrorist leadership on short notice without the requirement for a forward-deployed or visible presence. With Trident's stealth factor, there will be little or no warning prior to a strike.

Near-term, Mobile, and Precise Conventional Capability

To provide the nation and its leaders with an array of response options, U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is encouraging the development of near-term and long-term conventional strategic strike capabilities. Prompt delivery of conventional effects at global ranges in response to a variety of threats will bridge the gap between nuclear weapons and less timely, but precise, conventional weapons. This new portfolio will address hard-to-reach targets and pop-up threats with minimal risk to deployed forces.

While longer-term plans are being considered using various airborne, land-based, and sea-based systems for conventional strategic strike, the near-term solution is the CTM. The Navy's Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) will be the CTM program manager and system integrator. SSP intends to modify the existing Trident II D-5 strategic missile system to carry non-nuclear payloads as an affordable and cost-effective approach to providing combatant commanders with near-term global strike capability. The program will leverage established personnel, industrial base, infrastructure, and demonstrated technology advancements to permit rapid fielding of a strategic, non-nuclear strike system

Significant technology advancements have been achieved and demonstrated over the last ten years through the congressionally supported technology application programs. These programs sustained the technical capability in the areas of strategic re-entry and guidance systems. Initial operational capability will come just two years after program start—as early as fiscal year 2009. Two years later, full operational capability will be reached with CTM missiles deployed on the full fleet of 14 Ohio-class Trident SSBNs.

SSP and USSTRATCOM envision an initial program in which each SSBN could carry 2 non-nuclear and 22 nuclear D-5 missiles. Each CTM missile could be armed with up to four kinetic-energy warheads that could destroy a variety of targets through force of impact. Each kinetic warhead can be independently targeted. Simple yet highly formidable kinetic-energy-based fragmenting flechettes are being developed.

The fiscal year 2007 budget request for the CTM program is $127 million. Total estimated cost for achieving full operational capability is $503 million, a fraction of the price tag for developing a new weapon system with the same capabilities.

Converting the nuclear-capable D-5s to non-nuclear missiles will involve changes to the missile, its payload, guidance interface, re-entry, and fire-control systems. In addition, minor modifications will be made to the existing SSBN command-and-control system to ensure the correct use of only conventionally armed missiles. The new, error-correcting, controllable conventional re-entry body will be compatible with the existing Trident II D?5 missile design, operations, and support basing and facilities infrastructure. The CTM re-entry body will be sized for the current front-end technical envelope of the D-5 missile.

Technology developments in steerable re-entry bodies could give the conventional D-5 high-precision accuracy for a missile launched more than 4,000 miles from the target. The U.S. Navy's prime missile and re-entry system contractor, Lockheed Martin, has completed the core re-entry technology development for near-tactical GPS accuracy. SSP and Lockheed Martin have demonstrated mature precision navigation and control subsystems technologies for the CTM in full-scale flight demonstration tests. In a 2003 flight-test experiment, a Mk 4 re-entry body with this technology demonstrated that it could steer toward a target and strike with improved accuracy. A 2005 flight test experiment with modified re-entry technology demonstrated that it could not only steer toward a target with improved accuracy, but also slow down and control the impact conditions—capabilities required for the delivery of some types of conventional warheads to their targets.

Unlike Trident nuclear re-entry vehicles, the CTM re-entry body will include design enhancements to provide the high-precision terminal delivery capability required for conventional weapons lethality. These include a GPS-aided inertial navigation subsystem and an aerodynamic flap control subsystem to provide precision target impact accuracy and terminal conditions.

A re-entry body variant of the Mk 4, modified with a back-pack (shown at lower right) demonstrated in a flight test experiment that it could steer toward a target and strike with improved accuracy.

To accommodate CTM re-entry bodies, minor design modifications will be incorporated in the D-5 missile. A new interface package and associated missile cabling will route missile in-flight navigation position and velocity initialization data to the CTM re-entry body's inertial measurement unit. Fire-control system software modifications will provide pre-launch GPS almanac and crypto key data to Conventional Trident Modification re-entry bodies.

Effective operational procedures will provide for CTM command-and-control capability for positive nuclear control and surety to allow concurrent deployment of nuclear and CTM re-entry bodies.

In a global security environment we must always be looking even further ahead. The initial Conventional Trident Modification will make way for other variants to defeat hard and deeply buried targets. Advanced payloads, with larger, unitary penetrator warheads, for example, can be added if and when needed.

Stealthy, Survivable, and Treaty-Compliant

Adding CTM to the Ohio-class SSBNs not only provides the combatant commanders an additional 14 vessels to fight the Global War on Terrorism, it gives them the prompt and precise global strike weapon they need. Multi-tasking the Trident system in this way also provides a number of advantages beyond the essential weapon performance. One is that Ohio-class Trident ballistic-missile submarines are a highly survivable platform with an extremely reliable delivery system—112 consecutive successful test launches of the D-5 through 2005. The SSBNs that patrol the world's oceans are the most difficult platform for an adversary to target because they are almost impossible to find and track.

The flexibility to base CTM missiles and cruise missiles on submarines at sea also minimizes the potential for booster debris impact on civilian populations. SSBNs have the additional advantage that they do not require exposing our military personnel to the countermeasure dangers encountered in delivering a weapon by other means.

However, considerations beyond weapon performance and operational suitability weigh heavily in potential new uses for nuclear weapon platforms. One important factor is that the CTM will be compliant with existing arms-control agreements. The Trident missiles that will carry conventional payloads are accountable and inspectable, per the current Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

Leaving no room for ambiguity in our nation's intentions is always paramount when non-nuclear and nuclear weapons are on the same platform. The Department of Defense has already successfully established the precedent of dual-role weapon systems, with submarines, B-52s, B?2s, and cruise missiles. In addition, ambiguity elimination procedures have been implemented annually, without incident, for each of the Navy's more than 400 non-nuclear operational SSBN test launches that have taken place since 1968.

While safeguarding against ambiguity is not a new issue, this change in our nation's strategic force will require that no stone be left unturned to improve the measures we have in place to prevent misunderstanding. Areas under extensive investigation and review include existing hotlines and other communications with Russia and China, diplomacy, military dialogue, plus training, tests, and exercises. These measures, in concert with the operational steps discussed above, would provide ample assurance of our intent to allies and others.

Sending a Farther-reaching Message

The submarine brings stealth, agility, firepower, endurance, and persistence to the portfolio of strategic capabilities. Our SSBNs already send a message to others that the United States is vigilant and prepared to defend its national interests. With the Conventional Trident Modification, that message will be heard in more corners of the globe. If asked to participate in the war on terrorism, the CTM ballistic-missile submarines will be fully capable of carrying out a conventional global strike.

Converting submarine-launched missiles to deliver conventional munitions is an affordable and effective way to put more options at our leadership's disposal to deal with current and future threats. At the same time, CTM opens the door to even lower levels of nuclear warheads while preserving our strategic deterrent capability. In a moment of crisis, the SSBN can respond globally in less than an hour as opposed to the hours, days, or even weeks it may take our general-purpose forces to reach the enemy and respond via other means.

The Fleet ballistic-missile program—one of the most successful programs in our nation's history—stands ready for dual duty with the highly reliable nuclear Trident II D-5 alongside its new, precise non-nuclear variant.

Captain Benedict is the Technical Director and Deputy, Direct Reporting Program Manager for U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs.

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